Gag denied in 'Sexism in City' case

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The last thing Australian lawyer Elizabeth Weston expected to be complimented on at her new London job with banking company Merrill Lynch was her great "waps".

But a preliminary hearing into her sexual discrimination case against the international finance giant heard that senior colleague Nathaniel Norgren indeed congratulated her on her waps - British slang for breasts - at an office Christmas lunch last year.

The firm is vigorously defending Ms Weston's claims of discrimination, harassment and victimisation, as is Mr Norgren, who is a separate respondent in the "Sexism in the City" case.

In a hearing in London's Central Employment Tribunal on Friday, Mr Norgren lost his application for a media gag order, which would prohibit British newspapers from identifying him during the hearing.

Ms Weston accuses him of making disgusting comments to her during an office Christmas lunch last December in the latest sex discrimination scandal to envelop Merrill Lynch, which currently faces a $20 million discrimination case from former senior banker Stephanie Villalba.

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The tribunal was told Mr Norgren did not deny he commented on Ms Weston's cleavage.

And Ms Weston's barrister, David Craig, reading from documents lodged at the tribunal, said Mr Norgren accepted he might have made reference to her having great waps.

But Mr Norgren's counsel, Katharine Newton, told the tribunal her client did not deserve to be dragged through constant publicity while the case was being heard.

Mr Norgren, who left Merrill Lynch some time after the alleged incident, was about to take up a job with UBS Warburg, Ms Newton said, but his job offer was rescinded because of publicity about Ms Weston's case.

Mr Craig said Mr Norgren had already been named, including by The Sun-Herald.